Lady Justice Must be Blind
by Yours Sincerly
Summary: Lady Justice Must Be Blind - and so in fact is Love. Especially for Defense Attorney Takagi Tokio and Prosecuting Attorney Saitou Hajime. The courtroom has never been witness to the laws of attraction like this before. AU - A series of one-shots and multi-part arcs. Chapter 3: Okita, Aoshi, and the Kenshin-gumi make an appearance.
1. Lady Justice Must be Blind

Lady Justice Must be Blind

**Important** Please Read - General Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I am not an attorney and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the law and/or procedure. I am writing this for **purely entertainment purposes**, though I may at times use real life cases, this is not meant to be educational in any way or form. This is for fun.

* * *

Takagi Tokio, was feeling irrationally angry and emotional and it had nothing to do with a certain time of the month, thank you very much. No, these emotions were born out of a certain time of the year. Finals. More specifically, law school finals. At this point in the semester the words from her textbooks only seemed to mock her. However, Takagi Tokio much preferred the mocking words of civil procedure to the mocking words of upper classman Saitou Hajime.

Saitou Hajime, a third year law student (3L), was currently sitting at the other end of the law school library with his group of friends. Tokio hated him. Well, okay, to be fair she did not _hate _him and if she had to be totally honest with herself she would admit that he deserved his school rank. A little voice in her head added that he was also quite handsome. Tokio mentally shook her head to rid herself of that particular thought – there was no need to go there. No, what Tokio hated was the ease with which Saitou seemed to handle law school.

Tokio's first encounter with the 3L had not been pleasant. She had met him during his office hours to discuss her memo; she could still hear him berating her writing and the way he made her poor draft bleed with red ink.

"_Your sentences are too long, use less words. Make your point and move on." Saitou crossed out an entire section of her draft. "If you turn crap like this in you won't make it past this semester and the Judges will laugh your ass out of court," then he smirked and added mockingly, "not that you'd make it to court."_

Tokio had been too appalled to respond. He was a teaching assistant, he couldn't say those things … or could he? Psh, what did he know. Determined to prove him wrong she made the mistake of turning in her draft without any of his corrections. Her professor had not been impressed.

That particular event had happened at the beginning of the semester and now finals were only two weeks away. The law library was filled with first year students frantically cramming. Among those first years were the second years casually and carelessly scrolling through pinterest and chatting on facebook. Then there were the 3Ls, who exuded an air of "couldn't-care-less." Saitou seemed to be the personification of that 3L attitude.

Tokio, on the other hand, was struggling with a part time job and a full course load. At that moment, Saitou turned towards her (he probably felt the waves of annoyance Tokio was casting in his direction) and sent her one of his special smirks. Dazed at first, Tokio realized then that she had been glaring at him for the whole time during her inner struggle! Embarrassed, she quickly threw her head back into her book, throwing in some frantic highlighting just for good measure.

She hoped she had played off her lapse in attention… and then she heard it. A silent chuckle. Damn it. Refusing to look up, Tokio sighed and forced herself to continue studying civil procedure.

For the umpteenth time that semester Tokio wondered what had possessed her to leave a stable job for the demoralizing experience that law school had turned out to be. With that thought Tokio let her head fall in her textbook.

"It can only get better, right?"

* * *

Notes:

1. Law school is three years long. So first year law students are not referred to as freshman but as1Ls. Second years are 2Ls and third years are 3Ls.

2. I apologize if anyone believes that Tokio is a little whiney but she is going through finals. In law school you generally only have one test and it is given at the end of the semester. In other words, that one test determines your grade. It can be a stressful experience, especially for 1Ls.

3. Final note, most law schools have some sort of legal writing class for 1Ls. Legal writing teaches 1Ls how to write legal memos, appellate briefs, citations and so forth. This is the class that Saitou is TAing for.


	2. We All Can't be Winners

**Important** Please Read - General Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

I intend this to be a series of one-shots but they will all relate to each other, Saitou as a Prosecutor and Tokio as a Defense Attorney. I hope you all enjoy.

I know I said that it would be a series of one-shots, though that will mostly be true I will also have some multi-part arcs. I will do my best to keep the confusion to a minimum.

A very special thanks to the lovely ladies that not only encourage but fuel my obsession. Thank you Misaki for your input and proofreading!

Reviews and comments are always appreciated.

* * *

Takagi Tokio always knew what to say and do. She was intelligent, confident, and capable; those traits had served her well and taken her far in her thus short law career. So, how was it that she currently found herself in a situation in which she was a complete foreigner with no able tools to use? There was no handbook for this!

Takagi Tokio was on a date. Tokio had been on plenty of dates (free meals), but this particular date was different. Tokio was starting to feel like a teenager out with her first crush: unsure, shy, awkward, and just at a loss. All of which left her feeling disoriented and struggling to find a foothold.

Tokio took a deep breath and let it out.

"This is ridiculous!"

"What is?"

_Damn it! He heard me. Quick, say something about the menu! _

"You blackmailing me."

_So much for wanting to be civil… _ Tokio sighed, no point fighting it. She couldn't help it, there was something about the man that made her want to give back as good as she got. Tokio raised her eyes from her menu to look over at the man.

Saitou Hajime was smirking. He was leaning back in his chair with one arm casually laid on the table, his fingers playing with the stem of his wine glass.

"I hardly think taking you out to dinner constitutes blackmail. In fact, where would men be without food to lure women out?"

"…You make us sound like animals. Besides, trading a meal for a plea deal is blackmail."

"We are animals." Saitou purposefully ignored her second statement. As long as it had taken him to get the Defense Attorney to agree to spend an evening with him, he did not want to spend it talking about work.

Tokio didn't like the way his eyes glinted in the light, it reminded her too much of a predator. As though the music playing in the restaurant read her mind, Duran Duran's 'Hungry like the Wolf' began to play. _Burning the ground I break from the crowd, I'm on the hunt I'm after you, I smell like I sound. I'm lost and I'm found…. _

"I'm hungry like the wolf." It was Saitou who said the next line, only half under his breath.

Tokio blinked rapidly as she doubted her ears.

"Are you going to start singing? I can use it as my ringtone for whenever you call."

She would never have expected him to know the song. She couldn't imagine him listening to pop music. Saitou cleared his throat and stood up abruptly, causing her to start.

"Ah! What are you doing?! I was kidding; you'll make a scene. Sit down," Tokio hissed as she leaned over the table and grabbed his coat sleeve. It wasn't that she actually thought he would start singing but she wouldn't put it past him. The man was forever throwing her curve balls.

Saitou merely raised an eyebrow and took hold of the hand that was hanging on to his coat sleeve. Tokio blushed at the intimate gesture.

"I wasn't aware that a visit to the restroom would cause you so much distress."

Tokio narrowed her eyes and yanked her hand forcibly away, crossing them under her breasts.

"Psh, if the waiter comes, I'm going to go ahead and order."

Tokio heard him chuckle and watched him walk off. Alone, Tokio allowed herself to sink into her chair. _Where is that waiter! _ When she was sure no one was looking Tokio placed the hand that Saitou had held against her cheek.

She was startled by the sound of a pink panther ring tone, her personal cell phone. Tokio scrambled for her phone, wondering who was calling.

"Hello?"

"Taka-san…"

"Sagara-san, what have you done this time?" Tokio was regretting having given Sagara Sanosuke her personal number instead of her work number.

"Not me! I swear, this is about somebody else …"

To be continued.


	3. Why Can't We All Be Friends

**Important** Please Read - General Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I am not an attorney and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the law and/or procedure. I am writing this for **purely entertainment purposes**, though I may at times use real life cases, this is not meant to be educational in any way or form. This is for fun.

***Gasp*** Can it be? Yes! I am actually updating and continuing my story. Whoo! I want to thank everyone has read my story and an extra thank you to those that have reviewed.

This chapter is more of an introduction to the rest of the cast and background. I wanted to give you all an update before I disappeared for a bit, finals.

Just to give you an idea of how stressful this time of year is. . . This morning, I found myself driving away from school instead of towards school. When I realized this and made a U-turn but instead of driving to school I found myself still driving away from school… Even my subconscious is tired and overwhelmed.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and that I live up to your expectations.

* * *

The plaque on the door read "Detective Okita Souji." There was no secretary in sight, only an empty desk. Shinomori Aoshi knocked. Nothing. He knocked again, and this time he heard a mumbled reply and opened the door. He had stepped inside when a voice stopped him.

"AH! Close that door!"

It wasn't often, if ever, that Aoshi was taken aback but he did as he was told. Once inside he looked around, there was no sign of anyone. Then he saw it, brown tufts of hair and then a body, as the man who had yelled at him earlier crawled out from behind the desk. Surely, this wasn't the famous Detective Okita Souji? The man seemed far too . . . there wasn't a word to adequately describe the man crawling indignantly along the floor carefully inspecting said floor.

Okita raised his head and looked over at his visitor, "Have a seat." He motioned towards a pair of chairs with a hand. "Just be careful where you step, she escaped again and she does bite."

"Excuse me? She?" Aoshi stopped mid-step and looked to the floor. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Nothing to worry about but if it feels like something bit you, it might be a good idea to get it checked out." Okita paused and added, "Immediately." He grinned, standing up and dusting off his slacks.

Aoshi decided to ignore the statement; besides what did one say to something like that? Instead, he moved towards the pair of chairs Okita had indicated and removed the files on one of the chairs. The chair's companion was holding an empty tank. Most likely from whence "she" had escaped.

It took all of two minutes for Shinomori Aoshi to survey the office as he sat down and he cringed inwardly. It was a mess. There were books and files everywhere; spilling out of bookshelves and stacked on the floor. In fact, there didn't seem to be enough floor space for all the books. On one particularly unsteady stack sat a fish bowl with three little goldfish, oblivious to their precarious placement on the edge of the tall stack. The desk itself was placed in front of the large window, with empty water bottles and copious amounts candy wrappers littering its surface. And then, in the corner of the office, leaning innocently against the wall, was a nerf gun and a katana.

"I apologize, it seems that I am interrupting . . ." Aoshi trailed off; he wasn't sure what he was interrupting. Obviously a search for "her": maybe a pet snake, or some other form of critter with a deadly bite.

"No worries, I'll catch her eventually." Okita made his way to his desk but his next step caused a loud crunching noise. Aoshi watched as the man's eyes grew wide and as he cautiously lifted his foot.

"Phew, just a bag of chips. That would have been bad, if I had stepped on her." He scratched his head sheepishly. "ANYWAYS, how may I help you?"

For the second time that day, Aoshi found it best just to ignore what had happened.

"I am the Takeda family attorney, Shinomori Aoshi. I am here about my client, Takeda Megumi. I believe she was arrested last night."

"Takeda Megumi?" Okita tilted his head back and scratched his nose, looking thoughtful. "Nope, don't recall any Takeda but we did have a Takani Megumi."

_Takani?_ Aoshi narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. _  
_

"That's her maiden name. Her husband is quite worried about her. May I speak to her?"

"Of course!" Okita smiled and placed his hands serenely on his desk.

Aoshi waited a few seconds for the Detective to take some action. When Detective Okita continued to stare at him.

"…. Well?"

"Oh! You wanted to talk to her _now._ Well, I can't do that. You see, someone posted bail last night. She's not here anymore."

"I see. I don't suppose you can tell me who posted bail?"

"Nope!" Okita's grin only seemed to grow wider.

"…Doesn't matter. Thank you for your time. If you do happen to see Takani or whatever name she is using at the moment, please tell her to return home. Her husband is worried about her." With that Aoshi stood up, dusted off his pant legs, bowed and carefully walked out.

Once Okita was sure that Aoshi was not going to be returning, his smile vanished. He sat back in his chair and wondered about the abrupt departure of his guest. He had noticed the slight change in his guest upon hearing that Takani Megumi was using her maiden name.

"… Somehow, I think Takani- san doesn't want to go home." A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, "Ah! There you are, you naughty girl! Trying to escape, are we?"

Outside and sure that he would not be overheard; Aoshi pulled out his cellphone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hannya. She's not here, I need you to find her."

* * *

_= Elsewhere that same morning = _

"This is delicious!"

Around the dining table sat an odd foursome: a strikingly beautiful dark-haired woman, a man with vibrant red hair and a cross-shaped scar along his cheek, a boy of 10 with spiky, unkempt hair, and a another dark-haired woman with innocent eyes and hair clinched in a ponytail. The odd group where in fine form that morning.

"Yea! I don't care how you got here but I am glad you did. Ugly over here is always trying to poison us."

"Poison?! I am just making sure the meat is completely cooked! Haven't you ever heard of salmonella?"

"Yea, and haven't you ever heard of a cooking thermometer? It's a good thing Kenshin cooks all of our meals, otherwise I'd have a permanent bed in the hospital."

"HOHO! Ken-san it's obvious you need a real woman around here." The strikingly dark-haired beautiful woman, Takani Megumi winked and smiled seductively at Kenshin.

"Oro," Himura Kenshin nervously continued eating.

"You can stay as long as you like," Yahiko beamed. "As long as you keep cooking."

"Yahiko! You don't get to make those kinds of decisions. We don't need a woman around here, we have –"

"We have Kenshin. He does the cooking and cleaning." Sagara Sanosuke suddenly appeared and sat down next to Yahiko, taking Yahiko's bowl in the process.

"Why are we attacking my masculinity now?" Kenshin spoke up.

"Oh, I am sure you're all man. Ken-san," Megumi took the opportunity to sidle up to Kenshin and place her head on his shoulder, watching Kaoru through her lashes as the younger woman began to turn red.

"There's always so much energy and excitement. By the way, Taka-san said something about dropping by. Probably wants to discuss your case." Sanosuke casually leaned to one side and stuck his elbow out as far he as he could to keep the bowl out of Yahiko's reach.

"Punk! Give that back! I am a growing boy!"

"Yea, well, me too."

The remaining three ignored the struggle between the man and boy or rather, the struggle amongst the boys.

"Case? What did you do?" Kaoru had whirled around and turned on Megumi at the mention of '_Taka-san'_.

"Eh, Kaoru-dono, don't you have to get to the dojo?" Kenshin was anxious to draw her attention away from their latest houseguest. It was one of those mornings in which Kenshin felt more like a ringmaster than a landlord of a boarding house. If he had known that running a boarding house required this much maneuvering and strategizing, he might have stayed in the army. "I'll get your and Yahiko's lunch."

At that moment, they heard the doorbell ring.

Before Kenshin could stand up, Megumi got to her feet.

"I'll get the lunches Ken-san. It must be so hard to have such an unruly bunch and a useless girl."

"Useless?! I'll have you know that I am kenjutsu instructor . . . "

Kenshin shook his head as he headed towards the door, away from the bickering. Megumi hadn't even been at the boarding house a whole day and already she was starting to fit in.

"Takagi-san! I didn't expect you so early." Kenshin opened the door to find Takagi Tokio.

"Oh? Didn't Sagara-san tell you? I told him last night before he and Takani-san drove off that I would be by in the morning." Tokio looked slightly confused.

"He said you would be by but he didn't say when," Kenshin explained. At that, he and Tokio let out a mutual sigh. It was so like Sano to forget an important detail.

Kenshin closed the door behind Tokio and led her into the house. As they walked through the hallway, Kaoru and Yahiko ran past them, obviously in a hurry.

Kaoru caught Tokio's eye but at Tokio's smile she made a mental note to drag whatever was going on out of Kenshin or Sano.

"How did Kaoru-chan take having another woman around?"

Kenshin turned to see a mischievous light in Tokio's eyes.

"Eh?" For the life of him he couldn't figure out what Tokio meant. "They get along…for the most part."

"Men are so oblivious," Tokio let out a laugh. But even as Tokio laughed an unbidden thought crossed her mind; men weren't the only ones oblivious when it came to the attentions of the opposite sex.

* * *

Reviews are always appreciated!

Saitou will be returning in the next chapter and Okita may make another appearance.


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